Appistry, Inc., a leading provider of tools, software, and services that bring the power of genomics to next-generation medicine, today launched its inaugural Appistry Pipeline Challenge. The competition will provide $70,000 of software and hardware to aid one team in developing and executing an innovative next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis pipeline. Any U.S.-based researcher in any organization is eligible to enter the competition, which runs from July 7–August 15, 2014.
“If we’ve learned anything while helping our customers implement production-grade pipelines—pipelines capable of being used reliably and repeatedly in a controlled, clinical setting—it’s that they are difficult to build,” said Dr. Rich Mazzarella, chief scientific officer at Appistry and one of the judges for the Appistry Pipeline Challenge. “It requires expertise in everything from bioinformatics to high-performance computing, and not everyone has access to resources that can streamline development and deployment. Appistry is leveling the playing field by spurring creativity and helping one team transform its innovative idea into a solution that can drive clinical research and genomically enhanced medicine.”
The prize package from Appistry comprises a one-year license to commercial versions of industry-leading NGS analysis tools from the Broad Institute, which includes the Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK), MuTect, ContEst, and Somatic Indel Detector; and Appistry’s Ayrris® On Ramp Program for NGS analysis, which provides a developer workstation with installed software for managing tools, data, and pipelines; preconfigured analysis tools and starter pipelines; and eight hours of training from Appistry.
A panel of judges will determine the competition’s winner based on the quality of the overall entry; the need for a solution to the problem the project addresses; the innovation displayed in the tools selected and their use in the pipeline; and the impact the solution will have on clinical research or precision medicine. The winner will be announced on August 28, 2014.
Appistry will enable potential entrants to learn more about the Appistry Pipeline Challenge and ask questions during a live webinar on Thursday, July 24, 2014; register by visitinghttps://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/693194248. More information about the Appistry Pipeline Challenge is available at appistry.com/contest, or by following the contest at #PickMyPipeline on Twitter.
About Appistry
Appistry, Inc., brings the power of genomics to next-generation medicine by making genomics data easier for researchers and clinicians to act on. Appistry CloudDx provides cost-effective access to established, laboratory developed tests so that clinically relevant genomics-based information can be usable by any physician, anywhere. Appistry also empowers researchers by providing world-class bioinformatics tools, cloud services, and software that streamline the analysis of next-generation sequencing data and provide easy scale for moving research-developed pipelines into production. Learn more by connecting with Appistry on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
UMBC has received the special distinction of being named a �Best Buy� university in the 2015 edition of Fiske Guide to Colleges.
Making sense of today�s many university rankings can be daunting, but this is one list we are particularly proud to be on. Fiske highlights colleges that prioritize excellence in academics and student life, as well as financial accessibility.
UMBC is one of just 22 public universities and 22 private universities recognized as a �Best Buy� this year. Others include University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and University of St. Andrews in Great Britain.
Heavy on chess puns our campus can appreciate, Fiske�s description of UMBC begins, �At the University of Maryland Baltimore County, you can be king or queen of your academic world. Students here are given access to academic and social resources usually reserved for those attending mammoth public institutions or pricey private colleges.�
The guide notes that UMBC capitalizes on its size �by providing students with intimate learning communities, solid academics, and ample resources on a manageable scale.�
Applications to UMBC hit a new record this year, surpassing the 10,000 mark for the first time. As the number of applicants has gone up, financial aid has as well, with need-based aid increasing 110% since 2007.
Yvette Mozie-Ross, vice provost for enrollment management and planning, explains, �Very academically talented students increasingly identify UMBC as a top choice for a high quality, high value undergraduate education. They are attracted by opportunities to connect with accessible faculty, engage in research, and complete robust internships.�
The Fiske Guide recognizes UMBC�s distinctive investment in programs that �ensure its undergraduates thrive.� Echoing Mozie-Ross�s insights, the publication highlights our commitments to undergraduate research, meaningful internships, study abroad programs, and entrepreneurship education.
Among our academic strengths, Fiske draws particular attention to UMBC�s social science, visual and performing arts programs, in addition to the sciences and tech fields. Psychology and emergency health services are among the departments Fiske describes as offering popular and unique student experiences.
(07/08/2014)
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